


Mission: Desolation

by Foxzila44



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, F/M, Mild Gore, Mutants, Reader-Insert, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 07:29:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4778771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxzila44/pseuds/Foxzila44
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Earth has become nothing but a desolate, dead world, destined to doom and death. The lucky(and rich) have escaped; The unfortunate(and not so rich) are left stranded to fend for themselves. Mankind has gone one step too far, and the people left have to fight for their lives against horrific creatures, starvation, the natural elements, their sanity, and worse of all-- Each other. </p><p>You know it's a slim chance of holding out, but that won't stop you and your friends from pushing forward and making the best of it. You're only a technician(with medical knowledge), but who knows what you can accomplish with others along the way?</p><p>Future Dystopian AU. The names I made up for the characters are my own, and the Pyro is my own creation as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mission: Search and Secure

**Author's Note:**

> Yes! Hello! Hi! I'm starting a new story because this idea has burning in the back of my skull! This story is based on a roleplay between my friend and I, but I have adapted it to make it reader insert, and put this into a better story format! 
> 
> If you are confused on names, I'll tell you right now:  
> Joeseph is Scout  
> Jonathan is Sniper  
> and Reindelle is Pyro
> 
> I usually use third person(she/her) to write with, but with another female character, it gets too confusing. I decided to use 'you' this time, so forgive me if some of the writing is a bit awkward, I'm unaccustomed to it. 
> 
> Okay gonna wrap it up: I really really enjoy kudos and reviews! It pushes me on to write, and I love them so much I just fall over most of the time when I read them because you guys took time to write me a review and I love it. Ugh. I'm sorry. Enjoy chapter one!

A cold, desolate world was all that lay left in mankind’s attempt to better it. 

Man had allowed evolution to pick up at incredible speeds. They built up bigger, better, smarter… But in the end, all that it had lead to was pitiful failure and mass chaos. 

A war waged for years on end. Millions, slaughtered, killed. Others? Well, they either killed themselves to escape from the Hell on Earth, or died from other plagues and illnesses. 

The same high-grade technology that had destroyed mankind was now something that the remaining stragglers were after. This technology lay in buildings, far and few between across the span of the Earth. Breaking in was the easy part; Finding it? Well, not so much… The institutes that used to be under strict quarantine and protection now lay unprotected after years of wear and tear-- And not just from remaining humans. 

The people that were left didn’t have much. They had themselves, the clothes on their back, and for some(most, nowadays), the magic and familiar they had to call by their sides. Most the time, you’d find people alone, roaming around on their own. Others formed groups, bands, keeping close to guard each others’ backs. 

You used to be a Scavenger. It wasn’t just yourself alone, no, you were also with three other people. All were scavengers, and were good at their job. A force to be reckoned with. Now, though, after Reindelle(more or less their group leader) had given birth(nearly dying in the process), their group could not longer bear the dangers of looting and scavenging. They had taken on a Survivor role, now; Just striving to live, moving to where was saving, and pillaging the area until there was nothing left and were forced to move on again. 

You missed the thrill of scavenging and fighting(honestly a stupid thing to do), but at least you didn’t have to fix as many injuries anymore. You’d, more or less, had taken on the role of the group’s medic; You hadn’t originally wanted to become a doctor, but had studied medical training when you were in high school. A back up plan. However, that knowledge ended up coming in handy; Who knew?

You’d started to think back to your old high school years again, reminiscing in the yard with your friends, but a sudden harsh howl in the distance had snapped your thoughts back to the bleak, grey area around you. Dark was falling upon you both, and you damn well knew staying out would only result in your demise. Dangerous people roamed in the dark, looking to kill and loot. There were animals as well-- No doubt vicious, and no doubt mutated. It would be easier just to stay inside, but resources wouldn’t magically appear to your needs.

You had barely found anything today, even. Out scouring the entirety of the day, and all you had to find was some stale bread, and a few cans of various fruits and soups. Nothing out of the ordinary, really, but there had been so little to haul. Even Joeseph had barely come up with anything, and he’d ventured to a different area than yourself. The young man looked grim, stressed and tired as he walked beside you. His lanky form had once been always so tall, full of energy and youth. Rarely was he serious, always pulling out a joke or insult somewhere. Now, though, he always seemed stooped over; So quiet, rarely speaking, and jokes were far and few. You couldn’t remember the last time he’d spewed an insult at you. Even when fighting, he wasn’t as cocky anymore. Still as aggressive, but now, it was for a whole new reason. 

Another howl erupted into the air, and you grimaced, making quicker work with your feet. You could hear Joeseph silently agree with your actions as he shifted after you. The bunker came into view; A good place that they settled, really. Sheltered and somewhat underground, it was a good place to store themselves away from the outside harshness. The entrance was probably the most vulnerable: A broken door, with simply a cloak draped in front of it, was all they had to mark it. It did the job, though, keeping most rain and dust out, and nobody else seemed to take notice of the fire inside(if they did, they didn’t stop to check). 

You were the first to duck inside. The cracked pieces of the bunker caused rifts in the cement-- Some ground lower, some higher. It was rocky, but it still served well. The middle was where their fire pit lay. The middle was where two smaller, huddled shapes lay under a blanket, close together. The middle was where a young woman sat, staring blankly into the crackling fire only inches from her body. Slowly, her pale blue eyes dragged away from the flame, and settled on you and Joeseph. At first, there was no response. Then, a flicker in her gaze, and she sat up, more alert. 

“What did you find?” Those were usually the first words that came from her mouth, nowadays. Formalities were something that was nice, but just couldn’t be bothered to be used. You and the man beside you emptied your contents onto the ground. You’d come up with more than Joeseph, but all together, it was a pitiful pile. Looking over, the two huddled shapes had sat up, now sitting together. Both children-- no more than seven, if you had to guess, for whom kept track of time anymore?-- were pale, thin… And it hurt you to see them as much. You dragged your eyes away, back to Reindelle. Her own were washed with disappointment, but she did not scold. She was not angry. It looked as if she was expecting such. 

She dragged her gaze back towards the fire, and that’s when one of the children came forward. Little Diandra stumbled over a rock, but had regained her balance, and moved to the pile of food, picking it up. You could see her father’s shape in her shoulders as she gathered the items, moving to bring them over to the bucket. She even had Joeseph’s same sandy brown hair, albeit hers lighter, as well as her eyes. She dropped the items in the bucket to be distributed later on, and immediately had returned to sit beside her albino brother, wrapping the blanket back around her shoulders as she huddled against him. 

You tossed your bag aside with a sigh, plopping down by the fire. Embers crackled in the dying light of the bunker, and deciding stoking the fire would be a good idea, you raised a hand. A dark ball of magic engulfed the fire, briefly shutting the room into darkness, but as soon as it had popped, the fire roared up. It flickered back down, settling at a dull, comfortable roar. The only thing heard was Joeseph shifting to sit himself beside Reindelle, and the crackling of the fire. Staring boredly into it, your thoughts really weren’t much. However, as you raised your eyes, counting the members in the room, you realized one was missing. 

_Jonathan must not be back yet._ Your brow furrowed, glancing at the entrance. Nothing stirred, and your gaze dragged back to the fire. You knew the sniper liked his solidarity at his own moments, but even _he_ knew better than to stay out this late alone. You were about to voice your concerns, but a noise outside made all heads snap over to the door. Another silence followed it, but as it came again, you could feel the hair raise on your arms. 

“W-what’s that?” Diandra whimpered, hugging her legs even closer to her small body. Rein’s eyes were trained on the door, concentration lacing her usually expressionless facade. Nobody moved, so you took your initiative. 

“I’ll check.” _If I end up getting attacked,_ You thought, moving to the door, _than at least this group will still have a leader._ By no means did you have a death wish, and if you thought that the noise was something more dangerous, there was no way you’d be stepping out alone. When you did step out, however, you saw barely anything. The shape of a few scarce buildings, but that was about it; It was too dark. Lighting a small, dark fire inside your palm didn’t do you much justice, but you were too set on figuring out this noise rather than going a few steps back inside to grab a lantern. 

You followed along the edge of the bunker, your fingertips subconsciously brushing against the wall. As you continued heading along, it was east, you deciphered, the sound had become more clear. A human, was to be sure; Unusual sounding. There was a grating, metal against metal noise that could be heard as well, and you were also sure that it would come to haunt your dreams that night(if you’d even get any sleep). 

“This is fuckin’ awful… ‘m not good with this spooky shit…” You muttered quietly, a grimace marring your features as the noise only grew more harsh the more near you drew. A chilled breeze rushed through the air, and you shivered as it hit your body. Your light was diminished, and in a quick swoop of your hand, there was another in your palm. You were frozen, eyes alight with apprehensive terror, but nothing had happened. Clearing your throat, your pace became more brisk. “J… Jonathan?” You croaked out. 

The response you received only made you shudder. You were so near now, able to hear the tell-tale groan of anguish. What you also heard, however, was a soft, raspy laugh that was drowned out as metals rubbed against each other again. The groan exemplified until it turned into an all out wail, full of the anguish and fear that had been so heavy in the man’s voice before. 

And you knew that raspy voice, even if he didn’t speak. 

“Jonathan!” You whispered harshly, flinching as he let out another pain-stricken noise. Swiftly, you conjured a dark sword in your hand, gripping it firmly as you sprinted forward, around the corner. 

Before you stood a dark, smeared pathway of blood and pale flesh, and beyond that was Jonathan’s battered and bloodied body, with the figure of a man standing over him.


	2. Mission: Suspicion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!! yeah.... this one is long(I think)

It was hard to see, really all you could make out were the shapes. As the flame burned larger, you now saw it more clearly. This man… He was the one who had been chuckling. He simply stood in front of Jonathan, two bloodied cleavers clasped in his grasp. Your mouth, that had dropped agape at the scene, now was formed into a grim line. 

This man… Was he a Scavenger? Ripping up Jonathan to pillage all that he had? No, couldn’t be… He looked more like a Hunter than anything else-- Well, shit, that was even worse. You grit your teeth briefly, eyes narrowing as you found the guts to speak. “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The man had partially turned his face towards her, but all she could catch with it was a flicker of his spectacles. “You better move on before I run this sword through your goddamn ribcage. I might just do that already, actually; You did hurt one of my men.” You took a step forward, lifting your sword to point it at the mysterious figure. You gave him little room to move, only enough to turn. 

And turn he did. Not fully, no, only partially. You finally caught more of a glimpse of his face-- Rugged, somewhat longer like Jonathan’s own, but he was handsome in his own way. His eyes had flickered in the half-light, much like his spectacles did. A grey-blue, they reminded you of Joeseph’s. “Ah… My my… He was downed before I got here.” He spoke, his voice thick with an accent. You couldn’t quite place it-- Austrian, maybe? German?--something of the like. “As you can see, it is… Not a very pretty sight.” He had finally turned in full, shifting to the side to allow you a full view of Jonathan. 

You could tell the sniper was coming in and out of wakefulness. Pain was written across his face, and you almost didn’t believe this… Other man’s lies. However, upon further inspection, the gashes on his body were too rugged, too choppy to be made by any blade. His leg, even… Although cleaned and tied off at the knee, below that, it was simply a mangled mess. It wasn’t even fully attached(no doubt due to the cleavers in the man’s hands). Your hand slowly lowered, before finally, you dropped the sword all together. It disappeared in a whisp of smoke, and you dropped to your knees beside your fallen comrade. “Ooh, shit… Stick with me here, Mundy.” You muttered out, digging through his possessions until you found a lantern. 

It was cracked, the flame long gone, but would still be of use. You transferred your flame into it, setting it aside to shed more light. You looked over his body, thinking, deciphering of just what was the best route to take. _I can bring him back quickly… Can finish off what was started here with his leg, and heal him up good. Yes, that will do._

Quickly, you clipped the lantern onto your belt, turning slightly to hoist one arm of Jonathan over your shoulder. He’d given out a soft, protested groan, but seemed too dazed to really do anything. From his tall stature, you knew you were in no position to carry this man alone. “Ack!” You looked over at the man, whom stood aside, simply watching. “Well? Help me!” You barked out, and a huff resounded in response. 

“ _Scheiße_ , so demanding... “ Yes, definitely German, you decided. “First, I need to get the rest of his leg off, so put him back down.” Although it was a demand, he did seem to have… Some sympathy. It was hard to find with an odd glint flickering in his eyes as he raised his cleavers, but you knew it was there. What you did know as well, though, was that it was _not_ a good idea to do this. Not here, at least. 

“Here? You must be joking.” You nearly choked out. “He’ll bleed out! Even tying off his wound won’t stop the flow!” Your protests had died off as Jonathan groaned out again, his head lolling to the side. You felt his body twitch, and you whined softly in response. Slowly, reluctantly, you lowered him back to where he was before. You moved aside to let this man-- doctor?-- do his work, but stayed close enough to give him light(and to oversee just what he was doing).

The ‘doctor’ bent down beside Jonathan in a flourish of his bloodied labcoat. You could see the interest that plagued his facial features as he briefly studied the flesh wound again, before taking the cleaver and hacking away once more. The sniper’s rough cries ailed the other man not, whom hummed while he worked at his task. By now you were trying to comfort Jonathan, a hand on his face and cheek as you mumbled somewhat empty nothings to him to distract him from the pain at hand, but it did not seem to be doing much. Casting another glance back at this medic, you couldn’t tell if his practices were benevolent, or, well… Malicious. He seemed to enjoy what he was doing, yes, but at this point, you couldn’t tell if it was simply a morbid interest, or he enjoyed the pain of the nearly dead man. 

You eyes focused back down on his chopping as a wet thud hit against the ground, and you saw the leg had become completely severed. It was a gruesome, bloody task, and the outcome was looking grim. Jonathan’s breathing was shallow and ragged, and from what you felt on his face and head, he was soaked with sweat(not to mention blood). As the medic quickly tied off the tourniquet on his leg tighter, he reached a hand towards you, not looking up.

“Let me see that lantern; I want to burn the wound shut if I can.” Came his order, and an uncomfortable feeling settled in your gut at the thought. You clutched the lantern closer to you in response. Dark fire was not at all like normal flame-- It festered, it poisoned, it was a disaster if not on your side. It could _kill_ him… 

But if all went well, this could certainly _save_ him. Slowly, you unclipped the lantern attached to your belt, handing it over into the awaiting hand of the doctor. He grabbed it, bringing it over and opening it up. His glance towards you was apologetic, and he even spared one towards Jonathan, before he lowered it towards the wound, and gently blew on it. The fire licked at the sniper’s severed leg, and a hoarse scream tore from his throat, his body weakly arching up in response as well. You looked away, feeling utterly ill to hear such a scream from him. You’d never seen him this bad off-- Never heard him like this. You swallowed, keeping back any words, but your mouth was far too dry. You let out a breath, the one you’d unconsciously been holding, as the screams finally died on his lips. Worried, you looked over, but gave a shaky sigh as you saw he was still weakly breathing. 

The doctor was finishing his task, soon covering up with wound with a cloth he had. “What… What’s your diagnosis, doc?” Your voice was soft and shaky as you asked this, watching him put his cleavers away. 

“A muted animal, I assume.” He sighed out, shifting to pull one of Jonathan’s arms over his shoulder. “No normal dog could do such damage, and certainly not a human.” He cast a glance at you, and you understood. Grabbing the lantern, you clipped it back on your belt, and slung Jonathan’s bag over one shoulder. Your other arm grabbed the downed man’s own, slinging that over your own shoulders alike. He weakly grunted, but otherwise, had no protest. 

“A-and… P… Prog…” Your tongue was heavy, trying to recover from what had just happened. You tried to form the words again, but the medic was first. 

“Prognosis? I am not sure… I could later make him a prosthetic with the right tech, but I’ll be honest: I’m not sure he’ll make it through the night.” He replied, a heavy sigh in his voice. 

“...Right.” Was your quiet response, the two of you starting to move. “I… I think he’ll be okay. He’s a fighter, heh…” Your words were more optimistic than your thoughts, but negativity wasn’t something you could hold onto in this world and hope to live with. Any more thoughts that came up were dispelled as a distant howl rose into the air

Your pace was no faster, as was the German’s. You both momentarily froze as more joined into a chorus. A grimace flickered across the man’s face, and he looked at you. “By all means, lead the way.” He grumbled, and you did so, pace considerably faster. He did not protest. 

It only took minutes to get back. You could hear Reindelle’s soft singing from inside, no doubt for her children, but as soon as the three of you entered, it halted. All pairs of eyes were trained on you, apprehensive, but those gazes were mostly meant for the stranger with you. Your own eyes averted, and you tugged slightly on Jonathan, walking over with the medic to where the sniper’s bedding was. As you lied him down, he made no sound or noise; Unnerving, but expected. 

Straightening up, you heard footsteps, and saw Rein had made her way over. Her face was blank, but you knew her well enough to read the question in her eyes. “He was attacked. By a Mutant. This man… helped him. Well, as best as he could, at least.” You explained, glancing at the doctor. He was straightening out his coat, and the supplies around his hips, but stopped as Reindelle spoke. 

“Why did you help him?” She asked, her voice soft, nothing given away. He opened his mouth to respond, but, then, stopped. He closed it, almost as if pondering why he had helped at all. Finally, he answered. 

“I do not deal in the business of dead soldiers. Only in the dying,” He responded with a smile. Rein hummed at this answer, looking slowly down at the ground. She took a strand of her white hair, ashen and flecked at the tips due to the amount of time she had spent around fire her whole life. You watched carefully, almost afraid of what she would do to this man. She knew that Rein could sometimes be… Unreasonable. Unpredictable. If this man was deemed untrustworthy, you knew he wouldn’t walk out of here without a few lashed out burns. 

He may not walk out at all. 

“Will he live?” She finally inquired, gradually dragging her pale blue gaze back up to the medic. The man was about to answer, but you knew better than who she was truly asking, and whom to she _was_ asking, and about whom as well. 

“Maybe… Maybe he should… If Jonathan lives.” The voice was meek and raspy, and glancing over, you saw Rein’s other child had spoke. His hair was long, as white as his mother’s. An albino like her, too, save for that he truly was an albino, whereas Reindelle was a pseudo. He seemed timid in giving his answer, but Joeseph agreed hesitantly. 

“Yeah, we might need him,” Came the scout’s response. “She wouldn’t know as much as him,” He motioned to you, for this, “So, let’s see if Jonathan… Lives.” You looked back over to the man, then Reindelle. Her eyes were glued back to the ground. It was a possibility… A sudden wave of guilt crashed into you. You shouldn’t have brought this doctor here; If he rejected their offer, he surely wouldn’t live to see the outcome. If he was killed, and he had others, there would be more trouble. You were sure he was alone, though; He bore no crest, and had not mentioned anyone else. 

It could all be a ruse, but it was a chance you had to take here. Rein had lifted her head, and finally spoke. “You will stay here for the night and keep a close eye on Jonathan.” She’d briefly motioned to him. “His fate will ultimately be your fate. If he lives, consider yourself a place here within our… humble group. If he dies, however, well… I’m sure you can decipher that one yourself, _’Medic’_.” She offered no alternative routes of Jonathan had lived as she turned away, and you thought as much. ‘Medic’ had agreed, however, with a quiet mumble. He didn’t seem to mind. You smiled faintly; New people to the group meant more scavenging for food, yes, but it also meant more power. And help. 

You looked at him, and he looked at you, raising a brow, but had turned away. At first confused by his actions, you soon realized that you had lingered a little longer than necessary. Clearing your throat quietly, you settled down as well, sitting a little way from him. It had grown into an uneasy silence, and you glanced his way. He was leaning against the wall, eyes half lidded as he looked at nothing in particular. Was he feeling awkward? Uneasy himself? You didn’t really think it was… Fair that Rein had forced him in here. Should you say something? Ease the tension?

_Well, if he is going to be part of our group, I may as well make him more comfortable._ You decided, turning partially towards him. “Hey, uh, what’s your name?” You asked. Your tone had come out more dry and tired than you expected, and his eyes flickered to your features. You swallowed, offering your own name, first. 

“Hans.” He returned his own name, a dry smile ghosting over his face. He almost seemed amused, you thought, as he looked at the dried blood on his hands, rubbing it off slowly. 

“Hans… Okay, so you’re a doctor, right? Like, an actual one; Went to med-school, graduated, all that good stuff, yeah?” You elaborated, moving to bring her knees up to her chest. You hoped you weren’t protruding-- You just wanted him to feel more comfortable if he really did get to stick around. Mutiny wasn’t an option.

Another grin broadened his features, and he laughed faintly. “ _Ja_... Of course I am. I wouldn’t have even attempted to keep the poor man alive if I wasn’t.” You cringed internally at that-- With your knowledge of far less, you still would’ve tried to save him. Head tilted, Hans surveyed the sniper. His grin died. “I didn’t expect anything to really come of it, though. Certainly not my own life line.” If a smile was on your face before, it had subsided slightly. You cleared your throat. 

“Ahh… Yeah. Reindelle is kinda strict on that matter. Too many distrustful, shifty characters out there that could suddenly trade out on you and all. Usually Scavengers, yknow, but it could be anybody. She just wants to make sure we're secure." You explained softly, an apologetic tone in your voice. 

“Ach, no worries. It’s a good asset to have in a group.” He agreed, eyeing the children. “Especially with those two little ones.” You followed his gaze, seeing the two still huddled together.

“Bastijn and Diandra? Yeah,that’s right.” You sighed, running a hand through your hair. “Those two… Were quite unexpected, as you can imagine. There was even debate on whether to keep them or not but, well… Here we are now.” Your laugh was quiet, not wanting to speak loud to disrupt the silence. “It’s… Hard, I must say, but… We make it.” 

Hans said no verbal reply, but his mute nod was enough to see he understood your perspective. You understood his body language, and it seemed he wanted to speak no more. You were growing tired yourself, stretching your arms and letting out a yawn only signified that it was the truth. Moving over, you tucked into your own space, a tattered sleeping bag, and hunkered down. You could faintly hear Jonathan’s raspy breath as he slept, and the crackle of fire, but exhaustion had outweighed you, and you fell into sleep.


End file.
